Information on Mount Pelée

The active volcanoes have erupted in the past and have chances of erupting again in the future. Volcanic eruptions lead to dramatic effects on Earth and humanity due to the flow of molten magma that can have 1200 degrees Celsius from the planet’s interior. 

Mount Pelée is an active volcano in the northern end of Martinique Island, a French overseas department located in the Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc of the Caribbean. 

One of the most disastrous eruptions in this volcano happened in 1902 which destroyed the entire town of Saint-Pierre. It is indeed one of the worst volcanic disasters on record in the 20th century leaving only two survivors alive in the direct path of the volcanic flow. This article is all about the important information on Mount Pelée and its eruptions.

Description and location of Mount Pelée

Here’s some information about Mount Pelée:

• It is an active volcano located in the mountains of Martinique. It is also known as the bald mountain or peeled mountain.
• The volcano and its eruption exist due to its location in the subduction zone, which is a geological process leading to the recycling of the oceanic lithosphere into the mantle of the Earth due to the presence of convergent boundaries.
• It is present in the subduction zone, which led to the Lesser Antilles Island arc formation. It is a chain of volcanoes stretching almost 850 km between Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
• It falls on the Martinique Island which falls under the French overseas department. This includes departments of France outside Metropolitan France. 

Formation and history 

Mount Pelée is a stratovolcano which means it is a conical shaped active volcano. It is majorly made of pyroclastic rocks. It is formed by the Northern American Plate subduction under the Caribbean Plate. 

As per the volcanologists, the volcano is evolved and formed in three different phases:

• The initial phase is known as Paléo-Pelée. The cone consists of multiple layers of hardened lava and fragmented debris from the volcano.
• The intermediate phase is the formation of the Morne Macouba lava dome leading to the eventual formation of the Morne Macounba caldera. The deadliest stratovolcano’s 1902 eruption was during the intermediate phase due to pyroclastic flows. 
• The last or modern stage led to the formation of the current cone of Mount Pelée. Finally, in the last phase, it led to pumice deposit.

A large pumice eruption almost 3,000 years ago led to the formation of the Etang Sec caldera. The eruptions from the pyroclastic flow filled the caldera and created the dome. Mount Pelée continued to erupt from 1902 to 1905 but remained dormant till 1929. 

Eruptions and Destruction by Mount Pelée

The stratovolcano’s 1902 eruption occurring on 8th May 1902 was the deadliest, leading to the flow of pyroclastic flow and destroying the entire city of St. Pierre. 

The eruption killed nearly 29,000 people and is the largest casualty caused by the volcanic eruption. Only two survivors were directly impacted by the volcano eruption: Ludger Sylbaris and Léon Compère-Léandre. 

The stratovolcano’s 1902 eruption was caused by nuee ardente, with the flow of the pyroclastic matter consisting of hot incandescent particles.

The eruption is a fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic particles that flow out at a very high speed of 100km/h to 700km/h. Mount Pelée began to erupt in 1929 on 16th September and led to the formation of the second dome on Etang Sec caldera. 

The pyroclastic flows emptied into the Blanche River Valley. The volcanic eruption released ash and spewed sulphur that polluted nearby areas and caused a massive tremble. 

The disaster led to the polluting of the nearby rivers and the overflowing of 22 neighbouring rivers. The eruption started on May 8th, 1902, and finally stopped on 4th July, 1905.

Current status of Mount Pelée and other information 

• Mount Pelée is under constant observation by geophysicists and volcanologists and observed signs of increased fumarole activity in the Etang Sec crater.
• After the stratovolcano’s 1902 eruption, the city of Saint-Pierre was not fully rebuilt. The Martinique Volcano Observatory (MVO) raised an alert due to seismicity observation under the volcano in April 2019. 
• Mount Pelée has several endemic species, and one of them is the Allobates chalcopis, a Martinique volcano frog.
• It is an important bird area spread across 9262 hectares, extending across the mountain and to the sea on its north-western side. Several birds like Lesser Antillean swifts, scaly-breasted, Caribbean elaenias, bridled quail doves, pearly-eyed thrashers etc., are found in this region.   

Conclusion 

In summary, Mount Pelée and its volcanic eruption are one of the deadliest disasters caused by the volcano. It is a stratovolcano which is active and located on the island of Martinique, part of the French Overseas Department. 

The active volcano mountain is located 24 km northwest of Fort-de-France, located at an elevation of 1,397 metres and is also known as Bald Mountain. The volcano is conical shaped and is formed by layers of volcanic ash and lava. The volcanic cone comprises stratified layers of hardened and solidified lava and ash particles. 

The Stratovolcano’s 1902 eruption destroyed Saint-Pierre town, killing almost 29,000 to 30,000 people, making it the worst volcanic disaster in the world.